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Friday, August 24, 2018

Falkrag, the fifth book in the Wytch Kings series, is now available at most retailers in digital format. Print will be available in a few weeks.

Book Description
Newly released from his bondage to the Wytch Council, Prince Shaine of Rhiva strives to prove that he can be trusted. Burdened by guilt and shame, but determined to help the Northern Alliance win the coming war against the Wytch Council, Shaine ventures into the Iceshards to investigate an ancient ruin rumored to contain a hidden cache of powerful weapons. He doesn’t get far before being badly wounded by a deadly mountain predator.

Son of the hunt leader of his village, Vorri is destined to one day lead his people, a group of exiled shifters from Rhiva who have survived in the dangerous Iceshards for nearly three hundred years. When the hunters who keep the village fed begin disappearing, the fearful village elders forbid anyone to seek them out. Determined to save the missing hunters, his own brother and sister among them, Vorri disobeys, and sets off alone to find them.

When Vorri saves Shaine from certain death, the two young men strike a bargain: Vorri will help Shaine find the ruin, and Shaine will aid Vorri in his search for his kin. But fulfilling the bargain turns out to be far from simple, and in the end, Shaine and Vorri’s actions could change both the course of the war and the future of Vorri’s people.

Friday, August 3, 2018

Falkrag is on track for a late August release, and I wanted to share the cover art with you. This is the first one of the Wytch Kings series to have a character in human form on the cover, and Prince Shaine of Rhiva got the honors. Once you've read his story, you'll understand why we chose these particular elements for the cover.

Falkrag (Wytch Kings 5)

Newly released from his bondage to the Wytch Council, Prince Shaine of Rhiva strives to prove that he can be trusted. Burdened by guilt and shame, but determined to help the Northern Alliance win the coming war against the Wytch Council, Shaine ventures into the Iceshards to investigate an ancient ruin rumored to contain a hidden cache of powerful weapons. He doesn’t get far before being badly wounded by a deadly mountain predator.

Son of the hunt leader of his village, Vorri is destined to one day lead his people, a group of exiled shifters from Rhiva who have survived in the dangerous Iceshards for nearly three hundred years. When the hunters who keep the village fed begin disappearing, the fearful village elders forbid anyone to seek them out. Determined to save the missing hunters, his own brother and sister among them, Vorri disobeys, and sets off alone to find them.

When Vorri saves Shaine from certain death, the two young men strike a bargain: Vorri will help Shaine find the ruin, and Shaine will aid Vorri in his search for his kin. But fulfilling the bargain turns out to be far from simple, and in the end, Shaine and Vorri’s actions could change both the course of the war and the future of Vorri’s people.

Tuesday, May 22, 2018

1. Newsletter (Finally!)
If you received an email notification about this blog post, it's because you signed up to follow this blog via email. With the new European Union privacy regulations (GDPR) going into effect in just a few days, I'm going to be turning off that option and deleting the follow-by-email list, as I cannot verify that the Feedburner Thing is GDPR compliant, meaning this is the last email notification you'll receive.

If you'd like to continue getting email updates on what I'm doing, or if you'd like to start doing so, I invite you to sign up for my new newsletter, which will be sent out every month or two (or whenever I have news worthy of a newsletter). The sign-up form is on the right, in the sidebar and also on the Contact page. I promise your email address will not be used for anything other than sending the occasional newsletter to announce new releases and other news.

2. Falkrag (Wytch Kings 5)
Falkrag has been sent off to my beta team, and the early feedback is that it's looking pretty good, so I'm still hoping for a late summer release (late July at the earliest, but probably more like August). This is the story of Prince Shaine of Rhiva, who goes looking for a weapon to help the Northern Alliance win the war, and brings home something far more helpful. And of course, finds love along the way.

3. Renegade (Kingmakers 2)
I've begun drafting Renegade, the second book of the Kingmakers series. Renegade features Coryn and Kai, whose relationship will be difficult and fraught, and will likely require more than one book to document. The series will feature other romances as well, but Coryn and Kai will be the central characters for most of it. I'm hoping to draft this one over the summer, and have it out toward the end of this year or early next.

Friday, April 27, 2018

Falkrag, Book 5 of the Wytch Kings series, is coming along nicely. This is Prince Shaine's story (Prince Mikhyal of Rhiva's younger brother), and it's looking to be another long one, 80 to 85,000 words is my current guess. I'm hoping to release it toward the end of the summer. Here's a little taste to whet your appetite...

Stormshard.

Shaine read the passage again, heart beating faster as the meaning of the words slowly sank in. Stormshard was a hidden tower, deep in the Iceshards, beyond the northern border of the kingdom of Altan. The kingdom’s mythe-weavers had used it to research dangerous mythe-weapons, some of which were powerful enough to destroy an entire kingdom. Abandoned after a terrible accident, once the Wytch Council’s inflexible edicts and iron rule had brought peace to Skanda, Stormshard had been forgotten.

Or more likely, erased from history.

The book Shaine held in his hands was the journal of a young mythe-weaver who had been serving out his apprenticeship in the tower, learning the secrets of weapon creation. Fortunately for him, he’d been on leave when the accident occurred. There’d been no survivors, and the area had been left uninhabitable. The Wytch King of Altan had destroyed the mythe-gate that led to the tower to prevent anyone from trying to investigate.

Shaine closed the book and stared out the library window at the mountains surrounding Castle Rhivana. Somewhere out there, Stormshard still stood.

And if it does, what makes you think you can find it, boy?

He clenched his jaw and reminded himself yet again that Anxin was dead. The voice wasn’t real. Couldn’t be. Vayne had promised.

Staring down at the book, he struggled to organize his thoughts. He’d need to do some research. There was a rough map in the journal, but if he was seriously thinking about venturing into the mountains on his own, something with a bit more detail would be helpful.

Was he really going to do this?

You can’t. You’ll fail, like you’ve failed at everything else.

Shaine clenched his hand into a fist. He had to try, despite his fear that Anxin’s words were truth. If he could bring home a weapon powerful enough to give the Northern Alliance an advantage over the Wytch Council, it would prove his loyalty to both family and alliance, and might finally put a stop to all the whispered speculation he pretended not to hear. It might even drive the last traces of Anxin from his head once and for all.

With mounting hope, Shaine headed for the library’s history section.

Several hours later, he’d searched history, geography, and legends, but found nothing helpful. His frustration was tempered by the fact that the lack of information boded well for Stormshard having remained undiscovered and, more importantly, undisturbed in the centuries since the disaster.

He opened the journal again to study the roughly sketched map. None of the books he’d found mapped much of the Iceshards. Most only went into the mountain range as far as the most distant mines. If the scale of the sketch was accurate, Stormshard lay some distance beyond Altan’s northernmost mines. It looked like he could follow one of the mining roads part of the way there, but once the road ran out, he’d be forced to find his own way through the mountains.

“And what are you studying so intently?” Dirit materialized on Shaine’s shoulder. The little dragon craned his neck to peruse the journal, head blocking Shaine’s view.

Shaine slammed the book shut and glared at him. “Nosy. I thought you and Mikhyal had gone off to Miraen to deal with the attack on the fields.”

Dirit hopped down off his shoulder and landed lightly on the table in front of him. “Not until tomorrow morning. His Royal Disheveledness is currently attempting to tame his hair into something less reminiscent of a rat’s nest before reporting for dinner. He suggested you might need a reminder. Which you apparently do. You’ll be officially late in three minutes, you know.”

Shaine glanced at the clock, alarmed to discover that the little dragon was right. His research had occupied him so thoroughly he hadn’t taken note of the time. Tucking the journal under his arm, he hurried out of the library, not bothering to look back and see whether Dirit had faded back into the mythe or not.

He stopped by his own suite first to slip the book safely under his pillow, then headed for the dining room. To Shaine’s immense relief, after the signing of the Northern Alliance treaty, Wytch King Drannik had stopped taking dinner with the Court. The war took up most of his time now, and as his heir, Mikhyal saw to most of the disputes brought before the king.

Shaine was late, of course, but Mikhyal and Tristin were even later, and no mention was made of it. The queen, as she often did these days, was dining in her own apartment, so it was just the four of them. Without the queen’s sensibilities to take into consideration, dinner conversation began with the crisis in Miraen.

“You’ll be leaving in the morning, then?” Drannik said the moment Mikhyal sat down.

Mikhyal gave his father a nod. “Ai, and Tristin will be accompanying me to Miraen. Once we’ve seen what we can do there, we’ll be going on to Altan. There is still a royal wedding or four to plan. I’ll stay in touch by messenger dragon. I want to be kept abreast of the conditions here, though I expect we’ll be diverting most of our resources to patrols for the time being.”

“I think it best, and I expect our allies will agree,” Drannik said. “Unless we have some way of predicting where and when the Council will strike next, all we can do is keep watch on our most vulnerable resources. In the meantime, Ilya has called for all the mythe-weavers we can spare to come to Altan, where they will search for a way to thwart the Council, or at least put us on even ground. If we could open our own mythe-gates and send troops pouring into Askarra, we would be able to negotiate from a much stronger position. This attack on Miraen worries me greatly. If they succeed in destroying enough of our crops, they could starve us into surrender.”

“Have we anyone to send to Ilya?” Mikhyal asked.

“I’ve sent one of our dragon soldiers to visit all the estates and ask for those who aren’t needed there to report here. We’ll send a caravan… or a few dragons, depending on how many we get.”

“I’ll let Ilya know you’ve begun the search process, then.”

“Excellent.” Drannik turned his attention to his meal, and Mikhyal turned to Shaine. “I may not be able to get back here before the wedding, Shaine. Have you made a decision about attending yet?”

Shaine brightened as it occurred to him that the wedding celebration itself was the perfect reason for him to travel to Altan. From there, he could strike north using the mining road he’d identified. He’d have to obtain some mountaineering gear, and perhaps a pack animal, but those ought to be available in one of the villages.

Not wanting to appear too eager, Shaine peered at his brother through long, fiery red bangs that badly needed cutting. “I’m not sure. I… all those people…”

Yes, all those people, Anxin hissed. All of them watching you, all of them wondering just who it is looking out of your eyes.

Shaine couldn’t help the shudder that wracked his frame. All those eyes. Staring. Accusing.

“I know exactly how you feel,” Tristin said, giving him a sympathetic look.

“You never had a problem with people before, Shaine,” Drannik commented.

“Ai, but…” Shaine swallowed, reminding himself that he could slip away soon after he arrived, avoiding the Court entirely. “I never had a reason to fear what they might be thinking of me before, either.”

“Will you not go and represent your family?” Drannik pressed. “I’d go myself, but given the events of the past few weeks, I dare not.”

“Don’t push him, Father,” Mikhyal said softly. He gave Shaine an encouraging smile. “While I’d very much like you to be there, the last thing I want to do is force you into doing something that makes you uncomfortable. Just give it some thought. I won’t be hurt if you decide you can’t manage it.”

Shaine blinked back the tears that rose, unbidden, to his eyes. Mikhyal might be a strict military commander, but he was never anything but gentle with Shaine, even after all the horrible things Shaine had said and done to him under Anxin’s control. Even after Shaine had arranged for his brother’s murder. “For you, I’ll try, Mik,” he said, managing a watery smile.

Sunday, March 4, 2018

Kingmakers is my new M/M fantasy series, the first volume of which, Khalshir, is now available. The series takes place a few hundred years after Wytch Wars, the start of which is detailed in the Wytch Kings series. The kingdoms of Skanda have recovered from the devastation wrought by the Wytch Wars and rebuilt. From the ashes of the old kingdoms of Skanda, the Tovashi Domains have risen, ruled by high lords who are sworn to obey the Binding, an agreement that prohibits the possession or building of the powerful mythe-weapons that nearly destroyed their lands. As the lessons of history fade into the distant past, there are whispers of those who would break the Binding and rumors of some who already have. Tensions rise and the threat of conflict looms. It will take a strong leader to bring the squabbling domains together once more and prevent history from repeating itself. Where will such a leader be found? And who will help him bring peace to these troubled lands?

Book 1: KhalshirWhen Rio bungles his first professional assassination, he’s given a simple bodyguard job. But the man he’s assigned to guard is keeping a dangerous secret, and Rio soon finds himself caught up in a tangled web of lies, love, and conflicting loyalties.

A street rat taken in by the infamous Khalshir Guild and ruthlessly trained as a spy and assassin, Rio thinks he’s ready for anything. When he balks at performing his first assassination, his mentor is furious, but gives him a chance to redeem himself: a simple bodyguard assignment, protecting the son of a high-ranking noble.

Second son of one of the most successful businessmen in the kingdom of Tallin, Dani Jherek never expected to become his father’s heir. After a suspicious accident leaves his twin dead, a grief-stricken Dani finds himself struggling not only to fill his brother’s shoes, but to protect a dangerous secret that, if revealed, could mean his execution.

Guarding Dani turns out to be far from simple. Instead of a spoiled, pampered brat, Rio finds himself watching over a beautiful, miserable young man struggling to survive in a dangerous world he doesn’t understand. As Rio spends more time with Dani, he finds himself caught up in a tangled web of conflicting loyalties. When Dani learns the true nature of his father’s business, everything changes, and Rio is forced to make an impossible choice: his loyalty to Guild and family, or his growing feelings for his charge.

Friday, February 16, 2018

Are you ready for a new series? This one is called Kingmakers, and it's another M/M fantasy romance series that will probably run to six or seven books before I'm done. Or possibly more--I know where I'm going, but not quite how I'm going to get there, or who might grab my attention along the way.

Book One of the Kingmakers series, Khalshir, is coming in March. It's the story of Rio and Dani, and as seems to be my habit, also introduces one of the main characters for Book 2, Renegade, which will be coming later this year, or possibly early next. Depends on how much Life(TM) happens between now and then.

If you haven't seen the awesome cover Chinchbug did for this one, here it is:

Book Description:

A street rat taken in by the infamous Khalshir Guild and ruthlessly trained as a spy and assassin, Rio thinks he’s ready for anything. When he balks at performing his first assassination, his mentor is furious, but gives him a chance to redeem himself: a simple bodyguard assignment, protecting the son of a high-ranking noble.

Second son of one of the most successful businessmen in the kingdom of Tallin, Dani Jherek never expected to become his father’s heir. After a suspicious accident leaves his twin dead, a grief-stricken Dani finds himself struggling not only to fill his brother’s shoes, but to protect a dangerous secret that, if revealed, could mean his execution.

Guarding Dani turns out to be far from simple. Instead of a spoiled, pampered brat, Rio finds himself watching over a beautiful, miserable young man struggling to survive in a dangerous world he doesn’t understand. As Rio spends more time with Dani, he finds himself caught up in a tangled web of conflicting loyalties. When Dani learns the true nature of his father’s business, everything changes, and Rio is forced to make an impossible choice: his loyalty to Guild and family, or his growing feelings for his charge.

About Me

Writer, dreamer, warrior, doggie-doorman, poet, punk, tech-stupid, and queer AF. I write fantasy and science fiction stories about hot guys who have the hots for each other, and I take great delight in making them work darn hard for their happy endings. They hate me and I never get invited to their parties.